1st Anniversary Special Project "Welcome to Tsuguharu Foujita's Home"

Exhibition Overview

October 2022 will mark the first anniversary of the opening of the Karuizawa Ando Museum of Art as a museum dedicated to the exclusive collection and exhibition of works by Tsuguharu Foujita. Since its opening, the museum has added new works such as the masterpiece Cat's Classroom (1949) and the precious milky white nude Nude with Arms Raised (1924), making the collection even more substantial than when it first opened, and it continues to grow to this day.

The title of this exhibition, commemorating the first anniversary of the museum's opening, is "Welcome to the Home of Tsuguharu Foujita." Just as the museum's founders, Yasushi and Megumi Ando, ​​cherished their family history by hanging Foujita's works on the walls of their home, this special exhibition to commemorate the first anniversary will feature an overwhelming display of over 200 pieces from their collection.

The exhibition will feature works that will be on public display for the first time, including Self-Portrait with Cat (1926), in which he depicts himself with a cat snuggled up to him; Portrait of a Woman (1932), whose model was Madeleine Lecou, ​​who is said to have had a great influence on Foujita; Exorcism of the Eccentrics (1952), which gives insight into Foujita's feelings after the war; and Christ of the Cat (1958), a decorative plate that was displayed in Foujita's house in Villiers-le-Bacle, his final residence.

In addition to tracing Foujita's life from his early years to his later years throughout the museum, we will also introduce private scenes of him in his studio, at home, and at different periods. Over 10 private photographs donated by a relative of his wife, Kimiyo, will also be on public display for the first time. Please come to the Karuizawa Ando Museum of Art to meet Foujita Tsuguharu.

Introducing the donated belongings of Mr. and Mrs. Fujita

Our museum has received valuable personal belongings of the Foujitas from people related to Mrs. Kimiyo, including a precious handwritten diary by Tsuguharu Foujita recorded during the war. We are currently conducting research into these belongings. This exhibition will feature over 10 photographs from these belongings, which we will be showing for the first time, showing the private lives of the Foujitas. We will be showcasing rare images of Foujita relaxing with Mrs. Kimiyo at their home in Villiers-le-Bacle.

Introducing works exhibited for the first time

Self-Portrait with Cat, 1926, collotype on paper

Throughout his life, Fujita painted a wide variety of self-portraits, and many of his self-portraits, particularly those from the late 1920s, feature a tabby cat clinging to him, its chin jutting upward and one tiny fang exposed. As Fujita himself once said, "I sometimes paint cats as a kind of signature," cats were the most familiar and intimate presences to him. This Self-Portrait with Cat, newly added to our museum's collection, also conveys the loving relationship between the man and the cat.
Exhibition Room: Exhibition Room 2 (Green Room)

"Woman's Figure" 1932 Watercolor, ink on paper

Madeleine Lecou appears in many of Foujita's works as a model. In October 1931, Foujita traveled to Central and South America with Madeleine, whom he had just met. This work was painted during that trip, and it exquisitely captures the loveliness and beauty of Madeleine, who was 25 years old at the time. You can feel the warm gaze of Foujita as he gazes upon Madeleine.
Exhibition Room: Exhibition Room 3 (Yellow Room)

Exorcism of the Spirit, 1952, oil on glass

After the war, Foujita was tossed about by issues surrounding his war responsibility and decided to leave Japan, returning to France in 1950. This work was produced two years later, in 1952. It depicts Foujita, tormented by gossip, teasing, and jealousy, traveling to Paris and finding himself with no money, no studio, and no honor, kneeling and looking up to the heavens, pleading, "Give me strength." This is a valuable work that gives us a glimpse into Foujita's feelings at the time.
Exhibition Room: Exhibition Room 4 (Blue Room)

"Cat Christ" 1958 Ceramic (Madura Workshop)

This piece is a ceramic decorative plate that was displayed in the house in Villiers-le-Bacle, where Fujita spent the last eight years of his life. The wirework for the wall hanging is also thought to have been done by Fujita himself at the time. The back of the piece is stamped with the name of the Madoura workshop, which was famous for exclusively producing Picasso's ceramic works.
Exhibition room: Attic exhibition room